Blue?
Red?
Green?
No, that was a slytherin colour. That wouldn't go down well with Victoire.
So red or blue?
If he went for red she might think that he was trying too hard to get her attention or that he was focussed too much on her personality because she was in Gryffindor. That might lead to an argument about looks or personality and Teddy didn't want to get involved in anything like that. Hell no!
Blue however had always struck Teddy as a sad colour, cold like the sea. It might give Victoire the wrong impression. She might think that his morphing was being influenced by being around her and get all upset and he couldn't have that either!
So there he stood, Theodore Lupin, in front of his full length mirror in his medium sized bedroom at the Potter's, debating with himself over which colour to change his hair for his upcoming "date" with Miss Victoire Weasley.
He ran a hand through his currently brown hair and sighed. It seemed like an impossible task. Never before had he been this stumped over how to use his unusual ability. He had come pretty close when at the park with Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry when he was four. He hadn't known whether to make his hair messy and dark like his uncle or red and vibrant like his aunt.
This was considerably more complicated.
It all stemmed, if he was really honest with himself, from the fact that his crush was also his godfather's niece.
If he really saw Harry as an uncle and therefore Ginny as an aunt, that made Bill his other uncle and as a result Victoire, his precious Victoire, his cousin, and that wasn't really something Teddy liked to think about too much.
The seventeen year old turned his hair a gentle purple colour and looked over his appearance with a critical eye. The shade clashed horrible with his grey blue eyes that his uncle Harry said were Black family eyes on the rare occasion Teddy refrained from changing them. Frowning Teddy tried turning his eyes a soft hazel colour but was still unhappy with the result.
He heard a bang from James's room, followed swiftly by a yell from Ally and rolled his eyes before sighing loudly and flopping onto his bed, completely losing control of his abilities while doing it.
His hair returned to it's natural sandy blond, his eyes remaining their grey blue self and his cheekbones became more pronounced and his face a shade or two paler. When finished his face reflected more of his aristocratic ancestry and when Teddy caught sight of himself over his body he scrunched up his face and didn't quite know what to make of it.
Of course he knew what he looked like but it had been years since the young man had sat down and really studied himself. He was always in such a rush to change everything. People said they could see the Black family in him if they saw his true eyes or his correct bone structure and yet, it wasn't a compliment. The family had done so many wrongs to so many people that there statements were usually accompanied by a jeer, forcing Teddy to flinch as a child. As a result he always softened his features and usually copied his aunt Ginny's brown eyes.
He was the last of the Black bloodline apart from the Malfoy heir, he was the only one of his generation to have survived. When he thought of that side of his family any scrap of positive news was equalled by something equally depressing. Sirius was the only "good Black" apart from Teddy's grandmother and look at where that got him, 12 years in Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit. His brother's fate was even worse and Teddy didn't even want to think of his great aunts. Some things, like his ancestry, were best left forgotten.
His hair, uncle Harry said, was like his father's and being like his father in any way was almost upsetting for Teddy because he had never known him. The man who was treated so badly yet gave his life for those who thought him less than human. The man that Teddy wanted so badly to be like, but was terrified of disappointing. Perhaps when Teddy was younger his family feared that he would be ridiculed or despised for his father being a werewolf but no one dared to speak against one of the heroes of the war. One of those on the great monument at Hogwarts, one of those who gave his life for theirs.
Turquoise was his hair colour of choice, and it always had been. The young wizard remembered Harry telling him of when he was younger and the first picture he ever saw of his godson contained a tuft of bright turquoise hair. Teddy liked that colour and the rest of his facades because then people couldn't compare him to people he had never met. He couldn't possibly know if his cheekbones were from his mother or if the shape of his eyes came from his father. The pictures didn't stay still long enough when he was little and used to study them desperately searching for who he was.
He could hear Ginny darting upstairs to find out what James had done to his room and let a small smile cross his face. The chaser could be heard berating Jamie for the latest explosion accompanied by his god brother's desperate defence and Teddy couldn't help but close his eyes for a second and simply allow the sounds of the Potter household wash over him. His grandmother was visiting a distant relative in Germany for a fortnight meaning Teddy had moved into his room at his godfather's. Never a dull moment in this household, that was for sure.
Sighing he pulled himself to his feet and ignored Lilly's shrieks from downstairs before turning his attention back to the mirror. He was wearing loose fitting blue jeans, worn looking at the knees as that was the latest trend. Aunt Ginny said in her day if your jeans looked like that then it was time for them to go in the bin but he just rolled his eyes and laughed at her. He wore white trainers on his feet, shining brightly from a spin in his aunt Hermione's muggle washing machine, which he found worked best and finally a creamy white jumper which was a little too long for his arms but that Teddy felt gave him a little character. He was happy with the outfit, just not the face above it.
Repeating his earlier routine he went through different hair colours, lengths and styles before rolling his eyes and rubbing at them with his hands, trying not to cry out in frustration.
"I think you look great the way you are."
Teddy jumped and turned to his door to find sixteen year old Victoire Weasley standing in his doorway leaning on the door frame , arms folded, smiling softly and slowly looking him up and down.
"Bloody hell Vicky! Way to give a guy a heart attack!"
The youngster laughed and unfolded her arms before moving into the room. Casting a wary glance behind her which Teddy was sure was to look out for her cousins she closed the door and leaned back against it eyes sparkling.
"I thought I was coming to get you?", asked Teddy in a semi-accusative voice.
Victoire tilted her head to the side, allowing her auburn hair to fall onto her blue sweater clad shoulder, and smiled once more, a pink tinge appearing in her cheeks .
"I was too excited. Dominique was driving me insane. My dad was driving me insane, hell my mother was driving me insane. I thought I would…come round early.", she said, before regaining her Weasley swagger and grinning, "Of course if that has hurt your manly pride Mr Lupin, I can return to my tower and wait for my white knight to come rescue me."
She was beaming at him, laughter in her voice, outright teasing him.
Teddy smiled in return before answering her.
"I would hardly call shell cottage a tower Vicky. I think I can allow you to stay here. You know, cause I'm nice like that. Noble. I would hate to think of the young maiden miserable in captivity!"
He said it all with a pensive look on is face as if he were carefully considering the matter like an Auror at a crime scene.
Victoire laughed and Teddy thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He wondered if that was the inner veela or simply Victoire's natural inner beauty. He smiled back at her and then felt it slip slightly.
He realised that this was the first time Victoire had come face to face with his natural form. Nerves got the better of him and he stood fidgeting with his jumper and biting on his lower lip.
Almost reading his mind Victoire edged foreword and hesitantly lifted a hand to stroke down Teddy's face. His eyes never left hers as her pale hand traced his features. He saw her lips move and heard the whisper of a word leave her lips but as it was in French he had no way of understanding what she had said.
"You know, on the one hand I think you should show your true self more often because you look amazing but on the other hand….", she said grinning up at him, " I don't want you to have to beat all the witches off with a stick."
He laughed and picked her up, spinning her round a few times before putting her gently back on the floor. She kept a hold of him and pulled him close.
"Are you ready to go now Mr Lupin."
"Ready as I'll ever be Miss Weasely.", he said offering his hand
She smiled up at him and gladly accepted the offered hand. Together they walked out of Teddy's room and made their way downstairs into the living room, finding Lilly sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by muggle barbi dolls.
"Teddy!", she squealed, leaping up and running into his waiting arms.
"Hey there Lilly flower. What's the excitement? You saw me at breakfast."
The young Potter simply shrugged, hugged Victoire around the waste and bounced back to her carriage and Malibu barbi. Victoire giggled at her cousin's antics and followed Teddy into the kitchen on his search for his godfather.
"Uncle Harry?"
"Yeah?", came the muffled response from under the table.
Frowning Teddy shook his head at his uncle's behaviour and wondered if the Potter's even knew what "normal was". He supposed not.
"We are em…gonna head out now ok?""
He raked a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he picked up from his godfather and unwillingly blushed as said godfather appeared from under the table with a knowing smile on his face.
"Sure sure. Be careful mind. Got a lot of responsibility there Teddy, Victoire should be in Hogsmeade shouldn't she? Sneaking out like this? What would Bill say?"
Victoire simply squeezed Teddy's hand and grinned impishly.
" Professor Longbottom knows I'm here to plan Teddy's eighteenth and Daddy doesn't need to know so don't tell him and anyway it's been so long since I saw him last!", she rambled, without taking a breathe.
Harry rolled his eyes while shuffling things around on the counter,
"Oh yes, how could I forget, a whole four weeks since you began your seventh year. How have you survived?", he said dramatically.
"By thinking of him of course!"
Harry grimaced.
"Too much info there my dear. He's my godson and you're my niece.", Teddy's insides clenched painfully, " I don't want to think about that if you don't mind. Just be careful and don't do anything I would do."
Teddy snorted.
"What? You mean don't steal ancient Hogwarts artefacts, don't steal anything from the ministry of magic, don't impersonate anyone?, don't pick a fight with any dementors?, ride a dragon or battle a basilisk snake or rob Gringotts?"
Harry smiled wolfishly.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Just be careful if you get up to anything", he said still grinning.
Teddy was blushing and could only stammer, " Right I'm leaving now.", before he side apparated Victoire off to London to plan his party.
It took a few hours for him to realise he was still in his natural form.